Astros and Mariners Clash in Battle of AL West Heayweights
- The Astros sit atop the AL West with a five game lead over the Mariners
- The Mariners sit in 2nd in the AL Wild Card race with a one game lead over the Athletics
- First pitch is at 10:07 PM EST from Safeco Field
The Houston Astros travel to Seattle for a pivotal three game series beginning on Monday, July 30th. First pitch for tonight’s game is at 10:07 PM ET from Safeco Field.
Each team have been struggling as of late, and will be looking to rebound with an inter-division series win. The Astros have lost five games since the All-Star break, and were hit hard by the Rangers in their last series. The Mariners have lost five since break, and went 1-2 against the Angels over the weekend.
The Houston Astros
For the first time this season, the Houston Astros have shown a chink in their armour. The Astros rolled into the All-Star break as AL favourites, but have shown some rust coming out of the break. They are 1-4 in their last five games and and were hit hard by the Rangers. The Rangers outscored the Astros 18-5 in the series.
To make matters worst, Astros MVP Jose Altuve has been put on the DL with right knee soreness. This is the first time Altuve has been on the DL in his eight-year career. Altuve was hitting .329 at the time of the injury.
Jose Altuve talks about going on the DL for the first tjme in his career. "I'm not really happy about it." pic.twitter.com/aARViDPLwO
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) July 29, 2018
Altuve is joined by catcher Brian McCann and Carlos Correa on the Astros DL. The Astros will need their role players to step up in the starters absence to keep their spot atop the AL West.
Gerrit Cole takes the mound for the Astros. The right-hander enters the game with 2.54 ERA and a 10-2 record. Cole has struck out at least seven batters in his last four outings and has a dominant 12.4 K/9.
The Seattle Mariners
The Mariners have lost 13 of their last 19 games. It seems like a forgone conclusion that the Athletics will soon pass the Mariners for the final AL wild card spot. The Athletics are opening a series against Toronto, if the Mariners can’t pull a split series against the Astros they could be on the outside looking in for the start of August.
Seattle continues to struggle offensively. The Mariners enter the series with -6.0 run differential, the Astros are + 180. Robinson Cano is a prime candidate to spark the Mariners when he returns from suspension on August 14th. Until then, the Mariners will look to Dee Gordon and Nelson Cruz. Cruz has 25 HR and 60 RBI for the season.
Expect Seattle ace James Paxton to be on a pitch limit due to his inactivity over the last two weeks.
James Paxton is set to take the mound after his two week stint on the DL. Paxton enters the game with 3.70 ERA. Expect Paxton to be on a pitch limit due to his inactivity over the last two weeks.
Team Stats
| 67-40, 35-16 away | RECORD | 62-43, 34-19 home |
| Gerrit Cole ,10-2, 2.54 ERA | STARTING PITCHERS | James Paxton, 8-4, 3.70 ERA |
| 1-4 | LAST 5 GAMES | 2-3 |
| 133 | Team HR | 119 |
| .257 | Team BA | .256 |
| 1.08 | WHIP | 1.22 |
| .214 | OPP BA | .249 |
Opening Odds
| MONEYLINE | RUNLINE | O/U RUNS |
|---|---|---|
| Astros -106 | Astros -1.5 (+150) | O 7 (+100) |
| Mariners +100 | Mariners +1.5 (-166) | U 7 (-110) |
Astros vs Mariners Score Prediction
The Mariners can’t produce runs, and don’t expect that to change against Cole. Alex Bergman and company will step up with Altuve out, and will win this game and put even more distance between themselves and the Mariners.
Astros 4 – Mariners 2.
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From hockey to football, to basketball, baseball, soccer, and rugby, Cory is on top of it all. He grew up playing sports, has worked around them ever since (including as a talent scout), and is one of SBD's most experienced bettors.
